Smile For Me
by 1004-Angel
Summary: Lance learned two things about Keith that night. He still didn't know Keith's favorite sport, where he lived, or his favorite food, but it turned out that first, Keith had plenty to say when provoked, and second, he was also unexpectedly cute when teased. Rated M for eventual smut.


**Hello, all! It's been a while since I've posted any of my fanfiction but I've had this first chapter half written for a while and finally managed to finish it!**

 **This fic is based on one of my fave BL (I know, I know) manga, called Kocchi Muite Waratte (Turn This Way and Smile) and the instant I read it, it just screamed klance at me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and leave a comment so I know you want more! Cheers!**

 **Rated M for eventual smut. Heh.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

"I like you, y'know."

Honestly, that was not what Lance had expected to hear that morning. In his defense, all he wanted that day was just another grueling six hour shift and then go home, watch cartoons while eating pizza from the box, and go to sleep. And the day had been going exactly as planned until he ran into _him_ in the changing room.

 _Him,_ being Keith. The new(ish) guy.

A yawned "Good morning," from Lance as he strode into the employee locker room and deftly turned his lock to the correct combination, and a quiet nod from Keith. He already had his work shirt half way on, the lean muscles of his torso barely visible from the other side of his locker door. Lance didn't pay much attention, and reached to pull his own shirt over his head.

And that's when Keith dropped the proverbial bomb.

He'd said it with such a straight face, too, like he'd naturally brought up the weather, and then just finished changing into his work uniform, like he hadn't just given Lance the equivalent of sixteen shots of espresso directly injected into his veins; he practically buzzed. This wasn't the first time Lance had been confessed to (honestly, who could blame them, he was _awesome_ ), but this was the first from a guy, and for some reason that confession left his blood humming in his veins.

"Say what now?" Lance had asked, but Keith had quickly high-tailed it out of there, nodding politely as he passed another coworker on the way out. Lance was left sputtering in utter confusion.

Lance nibbled the rim of his soda as he mulled over that conversation again, staring lifelessly at a knot in the wood of the doorframe he was leaning against. He could faintly hear the sounds of his coworkers as they gossiped by the vending machine, but he wasn't paying much attention, instead devoting most of his energy into recalling that day, almost a week ago. It was uncharacteristic of him to be so quiet. Normally he would be a crazy

Honestly, he didn't know why he remembered everything in excruciating detail, down to the hard line of Keith's shoulders or the way his strange but yet suitable mullet fell against the back of his neck.

Lance bit down hard on the can to break his train of thought. A flash of movement caught his eye, and quickly glanced to see who had just passed by the open door. Lance and the rest of his coworkers were camped out in the break room after the lunch rush, and it was rare to see someone pass by without entering for some reason or another.

"Hey, did you see someone pass by just now?" Lance asked no one in particular.

"Oh, that was Keith," said Hunk, a tall well muscled teddy bear that had been Lance's friend since childhood, and had been generous enough to put a good word in with the boss to get Lance this job as a waiter at the small restaurant.

"Huh?"

"Keith, the one all the female customers go nuts about," Pidge, the hostess, cut in, and adjusted her glasses. "The new-ish guy."

"I know who he is!" Lance shot back. "I'm a way better waiter than he is, and yet he's always the one who gets the best tables and tips."

"You talk to him, much?" Hunk asked Lance, staring at the space Keith had just passed. "I've tried but he doesn't respond much."

"Nah, not really," Lance mused. "I usually make a point not to talk to people with outdated haircuts. How about you guys?"

"Nope," Pidge said, popping the 'p', and went back to updating the reservation sheet.

Shiro, the bartender, shook his head. "I've tried, too, believe me, but we've only really exchanged greetings and the occasional work-related small talk."

"You know, he doesn't really talk at all when he's not taking orders," Hunk murmured as he finished wiping the menus.

"Thanks for the obvious, Hunk," Pidge quipped. "I've never seen him have a normal conversation with anyone. It's like he stepped right out of the 2007 era of angsty teens."

"Pidge, let's be nice," Shiro chastised.

"Like you haven't sensed his 'don't talk to me' vibe," Pidge continued, regardless.

"I know what you mean," Hunk nodded.

"He comes right before his shift and leaves right after," Shiro put in. "He's not obligated to spend any more time with us than he has to, and we shouldn't force him to do things he's not comfortable."

Lance remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout the conversation. Any other day he would have gone on a rant about anything having to do with Keith: How he stole Lance's tables, especially the ones with hot girls; the way those girls just threw themselves at him and he ignored them (which totally made sense now in light of his confession), how he always seemed to get tipped better. But now Lance tossed the now empty can between his hands and left the break room to welcome the dinner crowd that slowly began to trickle in.

 _Keith Kogane._

Lance kept a close eye on him over the course of the following week. He watched how he interacted with the customers, and with his co workers. Lance and Keith were about the same age, Lance figured, and subsequently realized he didn't really know anything about the guy. He didn't know Keith's favorite sport, his favorite food, or where he lived… all he knew was that Keith attended a university for smart people, and was at the top of his class before dropping out. Lance only knew that because it was on his resume when he applied for the open waiter position.

Lance had never seen him laugh, or smile. Keith came into work on time, and left as soon as his shift was over, like some kind of anti-social robot. Did he have other friends he figured were better to spend time with? Lance scoffed at the thought. He had probably grown up alone in the desert for all Keith's social skills were worth. The only thing he had going for him was his face.

Lance's lips pulled tight, trying to concentrate on helping his latest customer. Even as he took an order, and pulled a standard flirty remark from his arsenal, and punched in the order to send to the cooks, he couldn't help but wonder… _why me?_

The end of the day came quickly, as it usually did on a Friday evening. Busy nights always passed quickly. Pidge left early, a hostess privilege that Lance envied. He still had to finish bussing tables. Hunk wasn't even working that night, which left…

"Hey, it's you and Keith on clean up tonight," Shiro said, clapping Lance on the shoulder.

Lance stumbled with the force, and made a face. "Yeah, yeah. Leave it to us. Go have fun with your girlfriend."

Shiro went slightly red, and insisted that he and Allura, the owner of the restaurant, were totally not dating, thank you very much.

"Coulda fooled me," Lance teased. "But I getcha. Go get some."

" _Lance, language._ "

"I didn't say anything though."

"You implied."

Lance shrugged, an impish grin on his lips. "If you say so."

And with that, Shiro left, leaving Lance and Keith alone. Keith was currently wiping down the tables Lance had already cleared in long, smooth strokes, expression relaxed and focused. Lance had no idea what he was thinking.

"You and me tonight, huh?" Lance tried, going to the next table over to set the chairs.

"Guess so."

Lance knew he was fighting a lost cause, trying to get Keith to say something more, so he settled back into his own thoughts. Which, of course, went straight to Keith's confession.

Was it even a confession? Or was it all in Lance's head, and his big ego made a big deal out of it? "I like you" can mean a number of things. Maybe Keith was just letting him know that even though he didn't talk to him, there were no hard feelings? Maybe was going to say "I like your hair, what kind of shampoo do you use?"

Or what if he got Lance confused with someone else? Maybe he was going to confess to Hunk… Was he asking for approval from Lance to confess to Hunk? But they didn't talk enough to warrant that kind of conversation yet, did it?

Lance snorted through his nose. This guy had no idea how to make someone fall in love with him. Keith never tried to appeal to Lance, never tried to show off a part of himself in the hope that Lance would bite. Nothing had happened since Keith's confession in the locker room. On occasion Lance had tried to engage Keith in conversation, only to be snubbed or given a cold shoulder. It was always just a "Hello," or a "Hey," when they met and a "Goodbye," when they left. It was driving Lance insane.

Lance snuck a peek at Keith as the other boy walked by. Was Keith gay? Well obviously he would have to be to confess to a guy. Bisexual at the least. Or maybe he was making fun of him? Lance's thoughts ran wild to the point he didn't even realize Keith had approached him until he was right in front of him.

"Hey," he said, and Lance jerked himself back to reality.

"What?"

Keith glared up at Lance, being an inch or two shorter. "Could you stop peeking at me? Hurry and clean up maybe?"

Lance _tsk_ ed and went back to straightening tables. "It's cause of you," he mumbled, quietly so Keith wouldn't hear.

Keith heard.

"What was that?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "Never mind."

"What do you mean, 'it's because of me'?"

"What do you mean, 'what'?" Lance countered, and finished up the last table. "Forget it, Mullet Man, it doesn't matter."

Keith leaned casually against a booth, arms over his chest and ankles crossed casually. "That reminds me."

Lance straightened and angled his body to be perpendicular to Keith's, glancing at the other boy from the corner of his eye with a half-hearted scowl. "What?"

"I still haven't heard your answer."

Lance choked on his spit, and tried to cover it up with a cough. "Uh, about what?"

Keith sighed and closed his eyes. "About the thing I said the other day. Don't tell me you forgot."

"No, no, I didn't!" Lance recovered, giving his chest a hard thump to get air back into his lungs. "I just –"

"How cruel," Keith murmured. "To my first and last confession in life."

"Whaa-?"

"Are you guys still here?" One of the other chefs poked his head out through the double doors leading to the kitchen. "I'm almost done back here so you can go home now."

Keith pushed himself to a standing position and reached for the knot of his apron. "Okay."

"Wait, huh!?" Lance protested, but Keith was already heading to grab his jacket and backpack.

"Later, then," he said, and was gone.

Lance continued to stand confusedly in the middle of the restaurant, staring after the place Keith had vanished.

" _What?"_

.o0o.

"I'm home," Lance announced as he pushed his way into the apartment. The scent of warm pizza drifted from the kitchen table where Hunk sat munching on a slice of pepperoni.

"You're late," Hunk observed.

Lance kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto the couch, left arm and leg dangling against the floor. "I'm so lost."

"You live here."

"I mean in life, Hunk," Lance bemoaned. "I'm so lost I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing anymore."

Hunk pulled a slice of pizza from the box and passed it to Lance. "Work with Keith that bad?"

Lance sighed. He had yet to tell anyone else about Keith's confession, and the secrecy was boiling over in his chest. But he couldn't bring himself to lug all his problems on Hunk just yet. Not until he had his own emotions sorted clearly. "You could say that." He took a bite and spoke through a full mouth. "He just _won't say anything,_ Hunk. And you know me, I grew up with six siblings, I'm not used to quiet."

Hunk patted Lance's calf in knowing consolidation.

"What should I do?!" Lance wailed dramatically, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. "I don't know how much longer I can work with this guy if he _never talks!_ But I can see it in his eyes, Hunk!" Lance sat up and stared his friend in the face. "He stares at me… like he's judging everything I do! He doesn't know that I know, but I know!"

"Lance, I seriously doubt that's why he would stare at you. Just go to bed and you can agonize about it more later."

Lance slouched in his seat. "After I finish this pizza. I'm starved."

It took another ten minutes before Lance trudged back to his room and fell back into bed without bothering to change into more comfortable clothes, a decision he figured that he'd regret in the morning but he was too mentally and emotionally exhausted to care right now. He forced himself to think of anything except Keith, and managed to finally sleep by replaying fond memories of his childhood in his mind. Memories that distinctively did not involve Keith.

The next day was another double shift, with Keith working that night which meant that they would be closing up together again.

"Good work today guys!" said Shiro in his usual fatherly way. "Keith, you're working late with Lance again, right?"

"Yeah."

"Great. See you tomorrow!"

The rest of the staff cleared out not soon after. And, as it was the night before, it was just Lance and Keith awkwardly skirting around each other as they did their respective side work. Lance once again caught himself staring at Keith from the corner of his eye, no real thoughts in his head but just a sort of absent-minded observation that befuddled Lance as much as it did Keith.

"Like I said," Keith said suddenly, his back to Lance as he cleaned out the tea urn. Lance jumped, spilling a little bit of the salt he was pouring into the shaker. He took a pinch and tossed it over his right shoulder, just as a precaution.

"What?"

Keith glared over his shoulder. "You're peeking again. Would you just please cut it out?"

"Whaaaat?" Lance objected, throwing in a dramatic gasp for effect. "I wasn't peeking! You're so self conscious!"

If this were an anime, Lance thought, Keith would have a glowing red tick mark pulsing on his temple. "Yes you were! And stop making that face, you're pissing me off!"

"This is just my face!"

"Exactly, now stop it!"

"Keith, I think these are the most words you've ever spoken to me! So this is what your voice sounds like!"

Keith pursed his lips. "If you have to say something, just come out and say it."

At that Lance, paused. This was an opportunity, he realized. This was an opportunity to learn more about Keith. He was actually talking, speaking actual words, and Lance was enjoying their light back-and-forth banter. Who knew when this opportunity would arise again!

Lance let a smile curl his mouth, a strategic grin he used when he was trying to woo a particularly beautiful girl. "Then, let's walk home together."

Keith blinked, the frustration in his expression fading to one of confusion. "What?"

"Let's walk home together," Lance said again.

The next thing either of them knew, both Keith and Lance were bundled in their jackets and scarves and walking side by side down the sidewalk in the chilly night air.

"I guess winter's really on it's way, huh?" Lance said, and breathed out heavily through his mouth to watch his breath mist in front of his face.

"Yup."

Lance grimaced. Great. Keith was back to one-word responses. Time to change that.

"Hey."

"Hm?"

"This is the first time we're really talking, huh?"

"Guess so."

"Then…"

Lance paused. Asking _why_ they never actually talked would be kind of inappropriate at this point…

"What?"

Lance swallowed. "Never mind."

Keith raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, what is it?"

Lance debated whether or not to ask for a moment, wondering if it might be too personal or if Keith would immediately put his guard back up again and then they'd be left with an awkward silence. Lance suffocated in awkward silences. Well, now that he thought about it, Keith waiting for him to say something was making this an awkward silence so...

Lance didn't look at him. "You… like me?"

Keith made a small noise of confirmation. "Yeah. I do."

"So you weren't joking?"

"Why would I say something like that as a joke?" Keith muttered, as if horrified by the notion. "That's despicable."

Lance breathed out a laugh. "Yeah, you're right."

Another few steps before, "So what's so good about me?"

Keith peeked at Lance from beneath his dark bangs, inwardly debating how to answer. "Even if you ask me that…"

"It's just," Lance interrupted, pausing under a street lamp. "We've never talked before now, like _really_ talked, so how in the hell did I catch your attention?"

Keith faced him. "I don't know."

"What does that mean, you don't know?"

"I just don't, okay?" Keith retorted. "And asking so bluntly is annoying."

"That so?" said Lance, fired up now. "Then maybe you shouldn't go dumping love confessions at the drop of a hat!"

Keith opened his mouth to fire something back, but apparently decided against it and dropped his face into his open palm with a heavy sigh. "To be honest, even I'm thinking back on that. I just one day realized that I had started to take notice of you, and now here I am." Keith dropped his hand and turned his face to the sky.

Lance studied Keith's face carefully, in this rare moment of tranquility. The dude was actually quite good looking, if he thought about it, in a thin, angular kind of way. And, as much as Lance was loath to admit it, he actually managed to pull off mullet style in a way that was just distinctly Keith. The streetlight seemed to make his entire body glow like some ethereal deity. Lance was _this close_ to admitting that me might be slightly a little bit gay when Keith said,

"Gross. What is wrong with me?"

Yep. Lance is definitely not gay for Keith.

"Seriously, that is _not_ the way to get someone to fall in love with you, dude."

"So I'm told."

Lance bit back what he wanted to say. The look on Keith's face was not a happy one, and as much as Lance loved making people smile, he was smart enough to realize when people really weren't in the mood. But he couldn't just leave Keith moping around like the anti-social loner he was.

Up ahead, Lance knew there was a small park. He pointed towards it, and, with a small smile in Keith's direction, said, "Wanna take a detour?"

Keith furrowed his brow a bit in confusion but nevertheless nodded his agreement. They found a bench to relax on, and Lance pulled some drinks from his bag. When Keith raised an eyebrow at him, Lance shrugged casually. "You never know, man."

Keith turned the can over in his hands. "I'll pay you back."

Lance shook his head and popped the can open. "It's chill, dude. I invited you out."

Keith was looking at him again, something in his expression that made Lance just want to know more about this guy. Even if he was a sarcastic buttface who stole his tables sometimes.

"So know that I know you can talk, why don't you?" Lance asked.

Keith shrugged. "There's nothing to talk about."

Lance gaped at him. "Really? You can literally talk about anything."

Keith stared at his hands, breath misting in front of his face as he breathed. "Talking is boring, to me."

"Is it really? I gotta tell ya, I'm actually having fun right now."

"That's because you're weird."

"Is that something you say to the person you like?"

Keith pursed his lips, and Lance couldn't help but laugh. He liked this kind of banter with Keith, he realized. When he wasn't sulking, he had a sort of dry sense of humor that wasn't really funny as it was amusing and entertaining.

Lance took a swig of his drink. "So let me ask you something."

"What?"

"Have you always been into guys?"

Keith coughed a little bit. "I haven't really been into anyone before."

Lance's eyes widened. "So it's just me? Like, only me?"

Keith grit his teeth. "You're so annoying, how should I know!?"

"What does that even mean!? It's about you, of course you should know! Maybe you were just like, subconsciously into guys up until now!"

"Shut up! I told you already I don't know!"

Lance laughed again. "Well, I guess you wouldn't. And I'm really in no position to talk. But you know what they say, love has no rhyme nor reason."

Keith wasn't looking at him. Lance would sacrifice a hundred of Hunk's fresh baked cookies to know what was going on inside that mulleted brain of his.

"I guess you're in that position," Lance continued.

"You're so gross."

Lance snorted. "I guess. But you know, that doesn't mean I'll be able to return your feelings. I do still want a girlfriend."

Keith tensed a little beside him at that. "Why aren't you grossed out?"

Lance was a little taken aback at the question. "What?"

Keith shook his head. "Never mind. I'll just go now."

Keith stood up to leave, Lance rising after him in protest. "What, already? We're having a bonding moment!"

Keith didn't look at him, and if there was one thing Lance hated, it was being ignored. And pineapple pizza, but that was another story. Lance lashed out and snatched a handful of Keith's jacket sleeve.

"Let go of me," Keith demanded, still not looking at him.

In the darkness, it was hard to tell, but it still looked distinctly like…

"Why is your face so red?"

"It's not!"

"Was it something I said? My fault?"

"No!" Keith finally turned to glare at him, eyebrows turned sharply downward and his eyes glinting beneath his dark bangs. " _It wasn't you, don't be so conceited!"_

"Did you not like the drink? You didn't even open it, and I'm sorry I guess I should have asked if you wanted it in the first place…"

Keith's expression softened slightly. "It's not that," he mumbled.

"Huh?"

Keith turned away again until all Lance could see of him was the back of his head and the wide stretch of his shoulders. "Nothing."

"Keith, come on! Keith? Buddy? My man?"

"I said it's nothing!"

"What do you mean it's nothing? Did I say something wrong!?"

Keith's body was actually shaking now. "It's not… I…. I don't want to waste it."

Lance paused, slowly released Keith's sleeve so his hand could fall back to his side. Keith didn't want to waste the drink? Because Lance had given it to him? Well damn, if that wasn't a heart-melting line then Lance was seriously out of practice with the flirting.

"Alrighty, come on," Lance said, and pat Keith's shoulder. "Let's go get something to eat."

"No, thank you. I just wanna go home."

Lance threw a hand to his chest dramatically. "Whaaaa? Don't you like me? This is an opportunity, man!"

"I'm starting to dislike you."

"That's cold man. That's cold."

Lance learned two things about Keith that night. He still didn't know Keith's favorite sport, where he lived, or his favorite food, but it turned out that first, Keith had plenty to say when provoked, and second, Keith was also unexpectedly cute when teased.


End file.
